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Definition ball

Etymology 1

From Middle English bal, ball, balle, from Old English *beall, *bealla (�round object, ball�) or Old Norse b?llr (�a ball�), both from Proto-Germanic *balluz, *ball� (�ball�), from Proto-Indo-European *b?oln- (�bubble�), from Proto-Indo-European *b?el- (�to blow, inflate, swell�). Cognate with Old Saxon ball, Dutch bal, Old High German bal, ballo (German Ball (�ball�); Ballen (�bale�)). Related forms in Romance are borrowings from Germanic. See also balloon, bale.

Noun

ball (countable and uncountable, plural balls)

1. A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
   1. A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape.
   2. (ballistics) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, etc.
      1. A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin.
      2. (uncountable, obsolete) Such bullets collectively.
   3. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body.
   4. (anatomy) The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes.
   5. The globe; the earthly sphere.
   6. (mathematics) The set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point; specifically, the homologue of the disk in a Euclidean space of any number of dimensions.
   7. (mathematics, more generally) The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point; the analogue of the disk in a Euclidean space.
   8. An object, generally spherical, used for playing games.
2. (sports) A round or ellipsoidal object.
   1. Any simple game involving a ball.
   2. (baseball) A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.
   3. (pinball) An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.
   4. (cricket) A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.
   5. (soccer) A pass; a kick of the football towards a teammate.
3. (mildly vulgar, slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.
   1. (in the plural) Nonsense.
   2. (in the plural) Courage.
4. (printing, historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.
5. (farriery, historical) A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.

Verb

ball (third-person singular simple present balls, present participle balling, simple past and past participle balled)

1. (transitive) To form or wind into a ball.
2. (metalworking) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.
3. (transitive, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse with.
4. (transitive, intransitive) To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.
5. (slang, usually in present participle) To be hip or cool.
6. (nonstandard, slang) To play basketball.

Interjection

ball

1. (Australian rules football) An appeal by the crowd for holding the ball against a tackled player. This is heard almost any time an opposition player is tackled, without regard to whether the rules about "prior opportunity" to dispose of the ball are fulfilled.

Etymology 2

From French bal, from Late Latin ball?.

Noun

ball (plural balls)

1. A formal dance.
2. (informal) A very enjoyable time.

Results 336 Words with the letters BALL

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